Evaluation of Horticultural Practices for Sustainable Tomato Production in Eastern Uganda

Abstract

<jats:p>Tomato cultivars (Heinz 1370, MT 56, and Nuru F1), fungicide application (±), staking (±), and mulching (±) were tested for their effect on yield, disease severity, and gross margin in tomato production in the Kamuli District of Uganda. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with a factorial and split-plot arrangement in field plots in two growing seasons during 2013. Total and marketable fruit number, marketable fruit weight, gross margin, and disease severity, assessed using the area under disease progress curve, were measured. Disease-resistant and open-pollinated ‘MT 56’ in combination with fungicide application and soil mulch provided the highest marketable fruit number and marketable fruit weight and had a positive gross margin in the first growing season. A combination of ‘MT 56’ and treatments without applying fungicide and soil mulch resulted in the only positive gross margin in season two. Application of fungicides reduced disease severity (early blight, <jats:italic>Alternaria solani</jats:italic> Sorauer) for all cultivars in season one and for ‘Heinz 1370’ and ‘Nuru F1’ in season two, but did not affect disease severity for ‘MT 56’ in the second season. Using soil mulch reduced the severity of early blight disease, but decreased the gross margin when purchased. Staking did not affect yield, disease severity of plants, and decreased the gross margin. Cultivar MT 56 had the highest gross margin and marketable fruit and least disease severity, and seeds should be made available to small-landholder tomato farmers in Uganda to enhance their sustainable livelihoods.</jats:p>

Review: Holistic pest management against early blight disease towards sustainable agriculture

“…Mulching and cover cropping are also useful practices for reduction in EB infection 101,102 . Disease incidence of foliar and fruit rot pathogens can be reduced by creating a physical barrier to keep fruit from coming into direct contact with soil and disrupting the rain splash distribution of inoculum of soil‐borne fruit.…”

“…Mulching and cover cropping are also useful practices for reduction in EB infection. 101 , 102 Disease incidence of foliar and fruit rot pathogens can be reduced by creating a physical barrier to keep fruit from coming into direct contact with soil and disrupting the rain splash distribution of inoculum of soil‐borne fruit. Another hypothesis of reduction in splash dispersal is believed to be that (i) sensor wetness duration of the crop is reduced by mulch and (ii) soil particle dispersal is reduced.…”

Does participation in livelihood education programs impact household food security? A comparative study in rural Uganda

“…Findings and recommendations from several studies conducted in the programs and/or supported by the program directors inform action areas to improve FNS improvement strategies. Research areas have included livestock improvements (Ampaire, 2011;Kugonza et al, 2014;Marshall et al, 2023;Semahoro et al, 2018;Walugembe et al, 2014); postharvest technologies in grains and pest management (Bbosa et al, 2017;Brumm et al, 2021;Mayanja et al, 2018;Sserunjogi et al, 2021;Taku-Forchu, Qu et., 2023); food safety and food handling (Nabwiire et al, 2022;Nabwiire et al, 2023); global service-learning through school gardens (Ikendi, 2022a;2022b;Snodgrass, 2012); school lunches (Byaruhanga, 2016;Nonnecke et al, 2016); value chains in tomato production (Taku-Forchu, 2019;Tusiime, 2019;Tusiime et al, 2019) and tropical pumpkins (Kwikiiriza, 2022); sweet potato production through climate-smart agriculture (Waaswa et al, 2021a;2021b;Waaswa, Nkurumwa, Kibe, & Ng'eno, 2021); soil amendments (Akitwine, 2021;Anderson, 2023;Bwambale, 2015;Wokibula & Westgate, 2016); and promotion of amaranth production (Muyonga et al, 2010;Nampeera et al, 2019) -a major ingredient in therapeutic porridge at the NECs (Ikendi, Owusu, Masinde, Oberhauser, & Bain, 2023b) and school lunches (Byaruhanga, 2016;Ikendi, 2022b;. However, after the CSRL/ISU-UP transitioned in 2014 to the "comprehensive approach to the c...…”

“…Households involved in agronomy and postharvest programs benefit from education related to land use planning, soils, composting, micronutrient gardening, postharvest handling, gross margin and marketing of produce, and from planting crops such as soybeans, amaranths, millet, iron beans, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, eggplants, and collards (Ikendi, Owusu, Masinde, Bain et al, 2023). The findings of Muyonga et al (2010) and Tusiime et al (2019) on amaranth and tomato production, respectively, guided implementation of such projects to ensure increased production as well as enhanced income. Trained farmers also have access to silos, tarpaulins, and grain cleaners at subsidized prices from grain storage and postharvest projects (Ikendi, Owusu, Masinde, Bain et al, 2023).…”

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“…Findings and recommendations from several studies conducted in the programs and/or supported by the program directors inform action areas to improve FNS improvement strategies. Research areas have included livestock improvements (Ampaire, 2011;Kugonza et al, 2014;Marshall et al, 2023;Semahoro et al, 2018;Walugembe et al, 2014); postharvest technologies in grains and pest management (Bbosa et al, 2017;Brumm et al, 2021;Mayanja et al, 2018;Sserunjogi et al, 2021;Taku-Forchu, Qu et., 2023); food safety and food handling (Nabwiire et al, 2022;Nabwiire et al, 2023); global service-learning through school gardens (Ikendi, 2022a;Snodgrass, 2012); school lunches (Byaruhanga, 2016;Nonnecke et al, 2016); value chains in tomato production (Taku-Forchu, 2019;Tusiime, 2019;Tusiime et al, 2019) and tropical pumpkins (Kwikiiriza, 2022); sweet potato production through climate-smart agriculture (Waaswa et al, 2021a;Waaswa, Nkurumwa, Kibe, & Ng'eno, 2021); soil amendments (Akitwine, 2021;Anderson, 2023;Bwambale, 2015;Wokibula & Westgate, 2016); and promotion of amaranth production (Muyonga et al, 2010;Nampeera et al, 2019) -a major ingredient in therapeutic porridge at the NECs (Ikendi, Owusu, Masinde, Oberhauser, & Bain, 2023b) and school lunches (Byaruhanga, 2016;Ikendi, 2022b;. However, after the CSRL/ISU-UP transitioned in 2014 to the "comprehensive approach to the capacity development model"…”